Sanctification

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Tell us about one item you own that you only use for special occasions or for a specific purpose. Why is it set apart for you? 

• How do you think you have grown as a person in the last five years? Share one or two things you have learned along the way that are crucial to who you are today. 

• Who is one person you look up to or want to be like? Why?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩; 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟳

As believers, we have received our salvation through the finished work of Christ. God continues to work His salvation in our lives so we can become more and more like Christ. This process of conforming to Christ’s image is called sanctification, and it is what God wants for us. This means we are not becoming more like others, following culture, or seeking for self-actualization. We grow in Christlikeness every day through the Holy Spirit and God’s word. Today, we will understand more about what this means.  

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁.

“𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟮-𝟭𝟱

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, guiding us and leading us to become more like Christ. As our helper and teacher (John 14:26), the Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus taught and helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26). Without the Holy Spirit, we would be alone and powerless in life. According to 2 Corinthians 3:17–18, how does the Holy Spirit transform us to be more into the image of Christ? Share a specific instance explaining this. 

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵.

“𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩; 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟳

When Jesus prayed for His disciples, He prayed that they would be sanctified in God’s word. When we read the word, God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit—He reveals Himself, guides us, and shows us how to live. It is like a mirror (James 1:23–24), a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19), and a sword (Hebrews 4:12). How has God’s word convicted and guided you to become more like Christ? 

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 was for the sanctification of the believers. He then prayed to send the believers into the world (John 17:18) to proclaim and reflect Him. As we become more and more like Christ through the Spirit and the word, may others see Christ in us and through us.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Why do you think Jesus prayed the way He did for His disciples? Based on this, how are you to value God’s word? 

• In what area of your life do you need to be more like Christ? Why do you think this is a struggle for you, and how do you think it can be overcome? 

• How valuable is the Holy Spirit to you? What is one thing you will start doing differently in order to rely more on our helper and guide every day?  

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His love and His desire for us to be sanctified. Be honest about your weakness and inadequacy before Him, and admit your need for Him in your life every day. 

• Pray that you would become more and more like Christ as each day passes. Pray that the Holy Spirit, through God’s word, would guide you in truth. 

• Pray that your life would be a reflection of Christ. Pray that you would make Him known through what you say and how you live.